Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-07
Isrney," as the anxious parents called


it.
When they turned and went off TO the
right John looked after them, and did
not notice the monetary hesitation
and glance OF pity the little blue-and-
white nurse cast ON him az she laid her
book on the bench, and got up and
said:
"will You come this way, Mr..
Thrupp?"
elias she been moved out OF there ?"
said John, following, as they came OPP
posite the Hayward doors.
"The Doctor wants to speak to you,
replied the nurse, without answering
him. and opened the door OF the room
into which the Doctor had taken him
last time.
Tie Doctor was sitting the other side
Of a SQUARE, green leather table, and
looked up absently from his writing
and then, as John said cheerily, "Good
day, SIR he seemed suddenly to recog-
nize the young fellow. A worried look
came into his face, and he said:
"Oh, it's you; wait a moment,
and getting up quickly he followed the
nurse out Of the room, turning TO add
as he closed the door: est down I'll
be back in q moment"
John sat down a little puzzled, but
not shade Of anxiety or fear that his
Nancy was worse crossed his mind.
He had made up his mind she was
nearly well by now, and pictured her
sitting up now perhaps in long arm
chair he had seen in the Special. The
door openedagain, and the Doctor came
in, looking very grave indeed, and,
shutting the door, stood with his back
to it and said:
"Mr. Thrupp, am very much dis
tressed to find you have not had the
message ] sent TO Gartside-street last
night. / quite thought you had it.
What message, sir ?" said John,
suddenly frightened at the Doctors
grave tone. 81 didn't think to 60 and
ask for no message-she was getting
better. She amt no worse, is she, sir !?
She amt bad sgen, is she, Doctor?"
my poor fellow" said the Doctor,
his own face paling little, 81 wish
you had gone to inquire. She got
much worse yesterday afternoon. Be-
fore we wired she tried to sit up, poor
child, and hemorrhnge, internal hem
orrhage, set in"
And he hesitated again, and looked
pityinely at poor John, and again went
on hurriedly:
1--WE thought you'd get the wire and
be prepared. She sank rapidly. There
was no pain, but we could do nothing.
She died about midnight"
John sat on very still, with his capin
hands between his knees, staring at the
Doctor, who laid his hand tenderly on
his shoulder, and was saying something
else. but be didn't hear what. The
whole room, the whole world, seemed
throbbing with those few words" she
died about midnight"
Half an hour after John Thrupp,
hargee, was slowly walking back TO
Manchester with little parcel OF girls
garments under his arm and string OF
yellow beads clasped tight in his great
RIGHT hand, seeing only the white face
of his dead sweetheart painted against
the cruel, pitiless streets and hurrying
crowds of Manchester.
"And she was better o Wednes-
day !" he was muttering half aloud.
She was better O Wednesday,"
That night John and old Battsen
were sitting one on each of the hunks
of the little cabin of the "Gct Away"
with an oil lamp between them. The
old man was crying bitterly for his
dead little girl, reiterating how "he'd
la gone to see her if you'd not a said
she were better" John sat still il
dumb misery after telling the old man
all there was to tell, and they had
SPOKEN, too, about the funeral.
"Ye see. it's worse for me nor for
YOU" said poor old Battsen, selfish as
we all often are in our sorrow. "She
was my only little 'un, and beyond sort
o cousin she weren't naught to you."
"No," said John, putting Nancy's
Yellow beads away in his breast-pocket;
"she weren't nothing to me, but she
were going to be. She were going to
be Mrs. John Thrupp-some day-poor
Io.eiv